Auxiliary Arm for Drilling Equipment

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary arm for drilling equipment ( 1 ) including a top drive drilling machine ( 4 ) which is vertically movable along a drilling centre ( 10 ), and in which at least one pipe manipulator ( 6 ) is arranged to move pipes ( 8 ) between the drilling centre ( 10 ) and a pipe magazine ( 7 ), and in which, beside the drilling centre ( 10 ), at least one at least remote-controllable or automatically operated auxiliary arm ( 12, 14 ) for the pipe ( 8 ) is arranged, the gripping member ( 24 ) of the auxiliary arm ( 12, 14 ) being positional at least at the drilling centre ( 10 ) or in the working area of the pipe manipulator ( 6 ).

This invention relates to an auxiliary arm for drilling equipment. More particularly, it relates to an auxiliary arm for drilling equipment including a top drive drilling machine which is vertically movable along a drilling centre and in which a pipe manipulator is arranged to move pipes between the drilling centre and a pipe magazine.

When automating a drilling floor, where pipes and other equipment are transferred between the drilling centre and preparation and storage positions by means of, inter alia, controlled manipulators, it is essential to increase the speed of operation. This is particularly relevant during so-called “tripping”, in which a relatively large number of pipe joints are to be fed out of and into the borehole.

The sensitivity to even small time gains is increased by the fact that prefabrication of pipe-string lengths, which conventionally takes place in so-called “mouse holes” in the drilling floor, cannot be utilized to the same extent when the pipe-handling has been automated.

The petroleum industry is relatively conservative with respect to the lay-out of a drilling floor, and relatively considerable innovative thinking and changes in terms of equipment have been required in order to achieve the efficiency desired.

Conventional lay-out will typically result in relatively long tripping times in that sequential equipment will have to wait until the preceding action in the sequence is completed.

The invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

The object is achieved in accordance with the invention through the features which are specified in the description below and in the claims that follow.

An auxiliary arm for drilling equipment is provided, the drilling equipment including a top drive drilling machine which is vertically movable along a drilling centre and in which a pipe manipulator is arranged to move pipes between the drilling centre and a pipe magazine, the drilling equipment being characterized by at least one remote-controllable or automatically operated auxiliary arm for the pipe being arranged beside the drilling centre, the gripping member of the auxiliary arm being positional at least in the drilling centre or in the working area of the pipe manipulator.

The auxiliary arm may thereby relieve the pipe manipulator, for example when the pipe is held at rest in wait for the top drive drilling machine to get into position. The auxiliary arm may take over the pipe from the pipe manipulator, so that the pipe manipulator may commence the next operation, the auxiliary arm moving the pipe to the drilling centre when this is ready to receive the pipe.

The auxiliary arm may be provided with an inner pivot joint near its attachment and an intermediary pivot joint between the inner pivot joint and the gripping member in order to achieve a satisfactory working area, typically in the horizontal plane. This means that said joints generally has their pivot axes parallel to the drilling centre. The auxiliary arm may be designed only to hold the pipe at rest after it has taken over from the pipe manipulator.

The gripping member may be connected to the auxiliary arm by means of an outer pivot joint which, typically, also has its axis parallel to the drilling centre.

At least the inner pivot joint, the intermediate joint or the outer pivot joint may be rotatable around more than one axis. This makes it possible for at least a portion of the auxiliary arm to be rotated away from its main working plane. A solution like that may be used, for example, to park the auxiliary arm in an appropriate position when it is not in use.

At least one portion of the auxiliary arm may be rotatable in more than one plane, which may also be achieved by arranging several joints successively along the auxiliary arm, the pivot axes of the joints having different directions.

Further, there may be at least one auxiliary arm arranged on opposite sides of the drilling centre. Such a solution enables access to the drilling centre from opposite sides, which could further increase the efficiency of the tripping work. The auxiliary arms may be displaceable in height.

The arm portions and the gripping member may be manoeuvred in a manner known per se, for example by means of electric or hydraulic actuators.

A device according to the invention contributes in a simple and reasonable way to achieving an increase in the tripping rate compared with the prior art.

In what follows, an example of a preferred embodiment is described, which is visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows drilling equipment with auxiliary arms in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a section I-I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a section from FIG. 2 on a larger scale; and

FIG. 4 shows a view II-II of FIG. 2 on a larger scale.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates drilling equipment including a derrick guide 2 which is provided with a top drive drilling machine 4, the drilling machine 4 being vertically movable along the derrick guide 2. The working area of pipe manipulators 6 and the position of the pipe magazine 7 are indicated in FIG. 2.

An assembled pipe 8 in the form of a drill pipe is in the drilling centre 10 and is held in this position by two first auxiliary arms 12 until the drilling machine 4 grips the pipe 8.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 it is also shown that the drilling equipment 1 is provided with a second pair of auxiliary arms 14 that are in an idle position on the opposite side of the drilling centre 10 relative to the first auxiliary arms 12.

In this preferred exemplary embodiment, the auxiliary arm includes an inner arm potion 16 and an outer arm portion 18, see FIGS. 3 and 4.

The inner arm portion 16 is connected to the derrick guide 2 by means of an inner pivot joint 20 and is connected, at its opposite end portion, to the outer arm portion 18 via an intermediate pivot joint 22.

At its opposite end portion, the outer arm portion 18 is connected to a gripping member 24 by means of an outer pivot joint 26.

The auxiliary arms 12, 14 are thereby arranged to move the pipe 8 to any position within their working area including in the drilling centre 10.

In other embodiments, not shown, the auxiliary arms 12, 14 may be attached to structural parts other than the derrick guide 2.

In the embodiment shown, the intermediate pivot joint 22 is rotatable around a first axis 28 which is parallel to the drilling centre 10, and a second axis 30 which is parallel to the inner arm portion 16.

The outer arm portion 18 with the gripping member 24 is thereby arranged to be rotated into a vertical position, see FIG. 4. Such a position may be favourable when the auxiliary arm 12, 14 is to be parked.

The operation of the auxiliary arm 12, 14 is explained in the general part of the description. 

1. An auxiliary arm for drilling equipment including a top drive drilling machine which is vertically movable along a drilling centre, and in which at least one pipe manipulator is arranged to move pipes between the drilling centre and a pipe magazine, wherein beside the drilling centre and separately from the pipe manipulator, at least one at least remote-controllable or automatically operated auxiliary arm for the pipe is arranged, the gripping member of the auxiliary arm being positional in the drilling centre and in the working area of the pipe manipulator.
 2. The auxiliary arm in accordance with claim 1, wherein the auxiliary arm is provided with an inner pivot joint near its attachment, and an intermediate pivot joint between the inner pivot joint and the gripping member.
 3. The auxiliary aim in accordance with claim 1, wherein the gripping member is connected to the auxiliary aim by means of an outer pivot joint.
 4. The auxiliary arm in accordance with claims 2, wherein at least the inner pivot joint, the intermediate joint or the outer pivot joint is rotatable around more than one axis.
 5. The auxiliary arm in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one portion of the auxiliary arm is rotatable in more than one plane.
 6. The auxiliary arm in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one auxiliary arm is arranged on opposite sides of the drilling centre. 